Extracts from the Cardiff Town Book. No. 5. 1711–1777.

This is a quarto paper volume, well bound in stamped vellum. It is the oldest
book in the possession of the Corporation; but that preceding volumes have been lost,
appears from the fact that the present one is marked on the outside of the cover
"N° 5 F," in writing of apparently the commencement of the 19th century. The
contents are Minutes of Council, Churchwardens' Accounts, Terriers, Admissions of
Freemen, and Miscellanea. The first few pages are in the neat, clerkly handwriting
of Town Clerk Michael Richards.

Overseers' Accounts for St. Mary's.

CARDIFF Vill:The Acct of John New & Christopher Hugh
Overseers of ye Poor of the Parish of
S. Marys in the Towne of Cardiff aforesd
for part of the year 1711 & part of 1712 as
follth Vizt

Cardiff Vill.The Acct of William Richards Gen. & Robt Keer Overseers of the Poor of the Parish of St Mary's in ye said
Towne of Cardiff for part of the year 1712 & part of
the year 1713 as follth

Charge.

The Totl of the Rate -

38.

4

4

Discharge. pd the Poor 53 Weeks att 13s.

34.

9.

0

pd for burying Maud Thomas als Vaier

0.

10.

0

Vacancys & Non Cullecc'ons

Jno Price for his Poor's Rate

0.

15.

0

Wm Evans the Like

0.

2.

1

Gabriell Lewis Esqr for a house

0.

2.

6

Mrs Kemeys for a Stable

0.

0.

10

Mr Wm Richards for a house

0.

1.

8

Thos Powell for a house

0.

1.

8

Chr Hugh Overcharged

0.

0

5

Cath. ffox ye Like

0.

1.

3

Oliver Evans

0.

0.

10

Jane Lewis for a stable

0.

0.

5

Thos Williams for a store house

0.

1.

3

Late Mary Sweet for 2 houses

0.

2.

1

ffran. Jones overcharged

0.

0.

10

Jno. Howell for ye Holms

0.

10.

0

Makeing the Rate

0.

6.

8

Totl Discharge

37.

6.

6

Due to ye sd Parish

00.

17.

10

Memorandum.

That the above-named Mr William Richards paid to Evan Jones
& Christopher Hugh the Churchwardens of the aforesaid Parish
the sum[m]e of Eighteen shillings.0.18.0
Soe there is due from ye Parish to the said Mr.
Richards00.00.06

Bailiffs' Accounts.

The Accompt of William Jones junr Alderman Late Bailiff of
This Towne of Cardiff of all such monys as came to his Hands for
& on the Acct of the sd Towne dureing the Time of his office Vizt

An Accompt of such sum[m]es of mony as was rece'd by the sd
Wm Jones to the use of the poor of ye sd Towne

29th May 1712. Rece'd of John Duke for Rent due to the Poor

00.

15.

00

4th June. Rece'd of Antony Mathews for Rent due to ye Poor

01.

00.

00

21th 8ber Rece'd of John Duke

00.

15.

00

12th of Decr Rece'd of the Poor's Interest mony

02.

06.

08

To this point the Town Book has been copied in full, verbatim et literatim.
Henceforward extracts must not be taken to be necessarily consecutive, as items
devoid of interest will be omitted. No particulars will therefore be given of the next
matter, which is headed An Account of mony Rece'd of John Brewer
for Toll of Corne to the use of the Poor.

This Acct in Com[m]on Councill was read perused & approved of
by Com[m]on Consent & the Ballance being one pound seven shillings
was then paid to the said Mr Wm Jones by us

Alexr Purcell
Will. Richds

On the opposite page follows a short reckoning headed Observac'ons on
Mr Jones's Acct before it was passed & allowed. This is followed overleaf by a long account under the words The Account of Charles Gibbon &
Morgan William, Com[m]on Attornys of this Towne of Cardiff of what
they have Collected as followth for part of the year 1712 & the year
1713. No particulars save the word collected are prefixed to any of the sums
entered; but at the end is the item Rece'd of those made ffree of the Sd
Towne £1.

The Disbursemts of them the said Charles Gibbon & Morgan
Williams dureing the time of their Office are as follows. Vizt

Pd Thos Powell Carpenter for makeing the seat in Church for the
Overseers 3s. 6d.

Pd the Towne Clerk for makeing the Rate & Entring this
Accot 13s. 4d.

Pd his Clerk for makeing this Accot & examineing the same 2s.

Octobr 7th 1714.

This Acct was prused pass'd & allowed by us His MajMaj[es]tiesties Justices
of the Peace of the sd Towne

Alexr Purcell.

Will. Richds

Election of Steward.

Cardiff vill. Att a Court of Aldrmen duely Sum[m]oned & held
this 14th of January 1714 Wm Phillips of Breconn[n] Esqr was proposed
to be ellected steward for this Towne & we the persons subscribeing
Aldrmen of the sd Towne have ellected the said Mr Phillips our
Steward (Wm Jones senr Christopher Matthews & Pethuell Sheers
Aldrmen Dissenting & giveing their vote for George Howell Esqr)

Richards Alexr Purcell [junr]
Towne Clerke Will. Richds

Alexr Pursell [senr]

Nath: Wells

Wm Jones.

Common Attorneys' Account.

The Account of William Foord & Evan Deer Com[m]on Attornys of
the said Towne for part of the years 1713 & 1714.

The Account of moneys collected, and of those received for Town rent, have
nothing of interest.

The Disbursemts by the said
Com[m]on Attornys by ye Bailiffs
Order are as follth

paid the Ringers their 4 Quarterly paymts att 15s. each
Quarter £3.

paid the Clerks of the Markett their 4 Quarterly payments att
8s. each Quarter £1. 12s.

So the list continues, the charge being uniformly 6s. 8d. for burying above, and
3s. 4d. below the Speeks. For convenience, these remaining entries may be
classified thus:

Buried above the Speeks.

Elizabeth daughter of William Lambert (bis.)

Mrs Jones of the "Blew Anchor."

John Langton.

Mr Stone's daughter.

Nicholas Edwards.

Mary Wells.

Rees Tanner.

Buried below the Speeks

Mary daughter of Robert Kerr.

Thomas Lewis's wife.

A daughter of Phillip Stephens.

Morgan Rees mason.

A son of William Williams.

A son of Arthur Yeomans.

William Meredith.

Mary Yeoman.

Robert Kerr.

George son of George Stephens alderman.

Ralfe Morgan.

Rachaell Richards.

Novr 9th 1715.

Ordered yt Priscilla the Wife of Wm Thomas & their child Ann
of the Age of 4 Months be removed to St Nicholas in the County of
Glamorgan.

Court of Aldrmen. Novr 9th 1715.

Ordered yt all Persons who are in Arrear for Towne rents yt
have not paid the same be used by the Towne Clerke he giveing
them first notice.

Ordered yt all Persons who stand indebted by Bond to the
Poor of this Towne be desired to pay in their mony wtin three
Months in order to be placed out upon one securety.

Ordered yt all Persons (who are not ffreemen) be sum[m]oned to
appear before the Bailiffs to show Cause why they execute their
trades not being ffree.

Election of Alderman.

July 9th 1715.

Court of Aldermen Duely sum[m]oned
Att a Court of Aldrmen duely sum[m]oned It was
proposed to nominate an Alderman in the
Roome of Emanuel Miles Alderman dece'd And
William Lambert one of the Assistants was proposed to succeed &
the said Wm Lambert was vnanimously elected Alderman by vs the
only persons prsent.

Geo. Stephens.

Nath. Wells.

Alexr Pursell.

Chr. Mathew.

Alexr Purcell.

Wm Jones.

Peth. Sheeres.

St. Mary's Overseers' Account

Cardiff Vill. St Marys The Account of Henry Williams & his Partner
Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish Com[m]enceing
the 30th of Aprill & Ending the 27th of January
(1715) following.

Payments to Poor.

Paid John Griffith 40 Weeks & 4s. Due the former year £2. 4s.

Pd John Russell £3. 0. 8.

Pd Katherine Hopkin £1.

Pd Anne Hopkin £2. 9s.

Pd ffrancis Jones £4. 6s.

Pd Tho s Phillip £2. 1s.

Pd Jno. Thomas £2. 4s.

Pd Joan Phillip £1. 13s.

Pd Margtt Morgan £2. 15s.

Pd fflorence Thomas £2. 4s.

Pd Mary Morgan £1. 13. 9d.

Pd Wm Miles £4.

Pd Dorothy Guy 16s. 6d.

Pd Kath. Pope £2.

Pd Mary My rick £1. 13s. 9d.

Pd Oliver Evans 3s.

£37.

10s.

8d.

Disbursmts

Mending John Bembricks shoos 6d. & for a New pare 1s. 8d.

A New Gown & stays for the same 8s. 6d.

To the present Bayliffs what they had advanc'd the year
before 10s.

To Mr Wm Richards D° 5s.

To Mr Michll Richards for D° £2.

To the Late Overseers what they Laid out more yn their
Rate £1. 14. 9.

Next follows The Account of William Powell & Richard Jenkins
Com[m]on Attornys of the said Towne for part of the years 1715 &
1716; but only dates and amounts are given in the first part, headed Debtors
by Mony Collected, and only names and amounts in the second, under the
heading Mony Rece'd for Towne Rents. The third part runs thus:—

Disbursments by the Com[m]on Attornys Disburst & Laid out by
the Bailiffs Orders as follth

If the above items refer, as they seem to do, to the obsequies of Sarah Hodge,
the ale and bread must have been consumed by the women engaged in laying her out
for burial. The ringing of a "little bell" about the streets was a survival of a very
ancient custom, and was originally intended to remind the people to pray for the soul
of the deceased.

Then comes a list of Vacancys under the respective headings of High
Street Ward, East Ward and West Ward.

Election of Capital Burgess.

January 11th 1716.

Cardiff vill:

Att a Com[m]on Councell duely Sum[m]oned for the Ellecc'on of an
Assistant in the Room of Wm Lambert lately ellected & sworne an
Aldrman Cradock Nowell Tanner was vnanimously ellected a Capitall
Burgess & Assistant for the sd Towne by vs.

Mich: Richards Towne Clerke.

Wm Jones.

Will. Lambert

Will. Jones

Alexr Purcell

Alexr Purcell Jnr.

Will. Richds:

Ar. Yeomans.

ffran. Jones.

John Jones.

Edwd Jenkins

John Sweet

Will. Mathew

Ar. Williams.

February 9th 1716.

Att a Court of Aldrmen duely sum[m]oned Arthur Yeomans one of
the Capitall Burgesses of the sd Towne was Elected Aldrman instead
of Mr Michll Richards the prsent Towne Clerke.

Wittness our hands.

Wm Jones

Will. Lambert

Will. Jones

Geo. Stephens

Alexr Purcell

Nath. Wells.

Common Attorney's Account.

Cardiff Vill: St Johns. The Account of Phillip Stephens & Thos Rosser
Com[m]on Attornys of the said Towne for the year
1716 Comencing the 21th of Aprill as follth

It is ordered by the Com[m]on Councill whose Names are hereundr
named yt the Charters & other Papers & Great Seale (fn. 43) belonging
to this Towne shall be brought to the Towne Hall of the said Towne
yt they May be Perused & Kept in the Chest of the said Towne Hall
according to Antient Custome att or before the Eleventh of this
Instant.

Att a Court of Aldrmen duely Sum[m]moned Thomas Nowell a
Capitall Burgess of this Towne was duely elected an Aldrman in the
roome of Wm Jones Junr Aldrman dece'd Wittness our hands.

9 signatures.

St. John's Overseers' Account.

The Account of Wm Morgan & Thomas Rosser, Overseers of the
Poor of the parish of St John's from the 28th of Aprill 1718 to the
20th of March 1718 as follows.

harge
Accountable by the Rate for

73

16

0

Deducc'ons by reason of severall Vacancys & poor

Inhabitants

6

12

1

soe they are accountable for clear mony to

67

3

11

Then comes a list of sums received of various persons therein named, towards
their next rate. This is followed by Disbursmts of the said Overseers of
the Poor, commencing with the Names of the Poor & their Seu'all
Allowances. The following is a selection of these:—

3. Cate Jenkins 1s. 6d.

6. Emll Grandfeild 1s. 6d.

8. Widow Green 3s.

9. Lewis & Jane 3s.

10. Joseph Phillips 2s. 6d. Dead.

13. Mary Mullins 2s.

14. Nath. Tanner 2s.

16. Jenkin Evans 2 Children 4s. one child goes off.

24. Cissil Howell 1s. gone to the Almes house.

Pd for Wm Wades Ind'res by the Bailiffs orders 8s. 4d.

Pd for Purse & paper 11d.

Pd for nurseing John Peleys Son 10s.

Pd for nurseing Anne Aylworths son 17s. 6d.

June 14. Pd for hireing two horses and our trouble to look after
the father and mother which left a Child upon the Towne
and likewise to put them out of the parish 5s.

March 8th Jon Bevan was pd his Qr for Nurseing Aylworths
Child due yt day 13s.

pd for makeing the Acct 2s.

pd for Entring it 6s. 8d.

The following is in the handwriting apparently of Mr. Michael Richards, Town
Clerk.

St. John's Churchwardens' Account.

Cardiff Vill. The Acct of Arthur Yeomans & William Matthews
Church Wardens of the parish Church of St John Baptist in Cardiff
for the yeare 1717.

Mem'dum that the said Church Wardens had noe rate for yt
Yeare.

Their Disbursmts for yt year are as follows.

Spent & laid out att the Generalls £1. 14s.

pd for a Coppy of their Oaths 1s.

Oyle for the Clock & bells 3s.

for cleansing the Church Yard 8d.

for Washing the Surplice 2s. 6d.

for bread 2d.

Oyyle 2s. [recurs]

to Severall people to raise the Great bell out of the fframe 4s. 6d

more 1s. 6d.

pd the Regr & Apparitor att the Generalls 3s. 6d.

for drawing the p'sentmt 1s.

laid out then 5s. 6d.

for bread to the Com[m]union 2d.

Candles 3d.

for soap for the Rope of the Chimes 3d.

Oyle & Marlin 2s. 1d.

for scouring the Branch twice 2s.

for Washing the Surplice 2s. 6d.

for bread 2d.

paid the Tyler for tile lime & ½ a days Work on Church 1s. 4½d.

pd the Towne Clerk for makeing the rate 6s. 8d.

pd Mason for mending the Walls of the Churchyard 3s. 9d.

for Lime then 2s. 7½d.

Candles to ring the Judges to Towne 3d. wt lime then 6d.

for matts for the Com[m]union table 2s. 6d.

Washing the Surplice & Linnen 3s. 6d.

for Bread 2d.

Paid for Candles for the Church att Christmas 6s. 6d.

for parchmt for a transcript 1s. 4d.

for drawing the transcript 2s. 6d.

for drawing a prsentmt 1s.

pd Regr att the Generalls 3s. 10d.

pd Tho. Matthews for the Chimes 11s. 2d.

to Evan Deer for Work £1. 14. 9.

to Tho. Rosser for Glazeing Work 6s. 10d.

for makeing this acct 2s.

for entring the rate 6s. 8d.

Rec'd for Buryalls £3. 14. 4.

The Acct of Nathaniell Wells Aldrman & David Owen Church
Wardens of the parish Church of St Johns in Cardiff for the Yeare
1718.

Disbursmts

Pd for a Book 1s.

Expence at Llandaff £2. 2s.

Pd the Proctor 2s. 6d.

also other Expence 2s. 6d.

for cleaning the Church yard 1s.

for a Sequestrac'on 2s. 6d.

for 2000 tyle & telling ym 16s. 4d.

pd Mashman & Patrick for Work abt the Church 6s. 2d.

pd for prsentmt 1s.

pd att the Genlls in Octobr 11s. 4d.

to the Apparitor 6d.

for a long staff to clean the Church 4d.

for Bread 8d. to Jon Price for Candles 5s. 9d.

for cleaning Sconce 2s. Catching fullbird 4d.

pd for secureing the Pinnacle of the Tower 6s. 10d.

pd for wyer for the Chymes 10s. 3d.

for Washing the Surplice 3s. 6d.

for prsentmts 3s. 6d.

pd Rosser the Glazier for glazeing the Church 18s. 9d.

for a treat to the Singing Women 4s.

pd for painting the Iron Barr £1. 12. 6.

for carriage of the Sconce 12d.

pd towards the Sconce £1. 13s.

pd Mr Wm Matthews 15s. 9d.

pd for washing the Church Linnen 9s. 6d.

pd Mr Lee for cleaning the organ £1. 1s.

pd Mr Preist for a Debt due on the Church for Lime £2. 17. 6.

pd for Catching 5 fullbirds 10d.

pd for wine for the vse of the Church £4. 7s.

pd Elias Wrentmore for the steps in the Church & Chancell
£18.2.11.

pd Towne Clerk for makeing the Acct 2s.

pd for entring it 6s. 8d.

1719. Cardiff Poor School. Appointment of Schoolmaster.

Cardiff vill: Whereas Cradock Wells Alderman Dece'd Did
by his last Will & Testamt(fn. 50) devise to the Aldermen of this Towne &
their Successors severall Messuages lands & tenemts in the County
of Glamorgan in trust for the Educatting & bringing vp of Poor
Boys & Girls to read write & Cypher We the Aldermen whose Names
are herevnder Subscribed in pursuance of the said Will have
constituted & appointed & by these p'sents doe Constitute & appoint
Nathaniell Wells of Cardiff Clerk to teach & instruct such poor Boys
& Girls as we shall from time to time direct to be instructed & taught
Hereby Giveing & Granting vnto the said Nathanll Wells the Issues
rents & profitts of the said Devised p'misses for & dureing such time
as he shall behave himselfe well in his teaching & instrucc'on of such
Boys & Girls as aforesaid In Wittness whereof we have herevnto
Sett our hands & Seales this 26th day of Novr 1719.

Att a Court of Aldermen duely Sum[m]oned Henry Meredith a
Capitall Burgess of this Towne was duely elected an Alderman in
the Room of Arthur Yeomans Alderman dece'd Witness our hands.

Nath. Wells
Crad. Nowell
Geo. Stephens

Will. Richds.

Will. Mathew.

Cardiff vill: 8th of January 1719.

Att a Com[m]on Councell duely sum[m]oned for the elecc'on of an
Assistant in the Room of Thomas Nowell lately ellected & Sworne
an Alderman, William Hiley was ellected a Capitall Burgess and
Assistant for the said Towne by us.

Nath. Wells
Crad. Nowell
Geo. Stephens

Will. Richds.

Will. Mathew

Henry Meredith

Richards
David Owen
J. Thomas.

1719. January 14,

Election of Thomas Matthew as an Assistant and Capital Burgess, in the room
of Henry Meredith. In addition to the signatures last given, appear those of Thomas
Nowell, John Sweet, Henry Llewellin, Arthur Williams and Richard Jones, being
Councillors. The following is written in a fair, clerkly hand.

St. John's Churchwardens' Account.

An Acct of Money Disburs'd Goods deliver'd &c for ye Use of
the Parish Church of St John's in Cardiff by Wm Mathew & David
Owen Church-Wardens for the Year 1719 viz.

There are now no trees in the north part of the churchyard. A small tree which
grew close to the railing by the north wall of the tower disappeared in 1895. Those
growing south of the church were all, it is believed, planted about 1865 by Sexton
Cook.

Cardiff vill: The Account of George Stephens & Wm Matthews,
Bailiffs for the yeare 1720.

1720 Augt 30th Recd of Gabll Lewis Comon Attorny 8s.

October 15th Recd of Morgan Jenkins Com[m]on Attorny 10s.

Decr 23d Recd of Antony Matthews poors mony 1li.

1721 Apr. 18. Recd of Com[m]on Attornsy 12s. 2½d.

July 10th Recd of Jon Price Com[m]on Attorny 1li. 11s. 11½d.

7ber 28th Recd of Edward Roberts being made ffree 3s. 4d.

of Mr Okey of John King, of Mich11, of Michll Brewer, of David Brewer of, John Meredith, of John George, of Joseph Howell, of Wm Phillips Junr, of John Dukes 3s. 4d. Each for being made ffreemen
1li. 10s. 0d.

23.
i.e., fulberts, a West Country term for what in ordinary language are called
polecats. The Churchwardens customarily paid so much per head for vermin or
supposed noxious animals destroyed in the parish.

24.
i.e., the parson's surplice, and the white linen cloth spread upon the communion
table at the administration of the Sacrament.

34. The above is an older form of the word now rendered "flannel," and comes
nearer to its Welsh original gwlanen.

35. Watching a corpse during the night previous to its burial was another ancient
religious custom, which it is interesting to see, in this instance, used out of respect to
the body of a pauper. The charge was for bread, ale and candles to two women
watchers, as appears by other entries.

36. This appears to refer to some disputed occupancy. The King's Castle was a
substantial building on the north side of the Cowbridge Road, Canton, just west of
what is now the Workhouse.

37. To tale, or tell, means to count; whence the nouns tale, toll and tally.

38. The organ at this time, and long after, stood in a west or tower gallery; so that
the arch referred to is the tower arch.